Fidus Achates
by The Celestial Anachronism
Summary: Youko Kurama visits a place that he hasn't been to in a while to hang out with an old friend and to think on the past. A yaoi Series of oneshots with KuramaKuronue pairings
1. The Spell called Memory

TCA-I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho and I am not making any money in writing this. It's a oneshot by the way

I will cast a spell on you to make you love in languish as I had to do.

And if it seems a biter pain,

Know that my tears once fell like rain,

Just as yours do now.

Youko Kurama sighed and ran a hand through his silver hair. It had been years…decades even, since he had come to this place. He normal stayed clear of this area, the place that his best friend had died. It brought up to many memories, and they were all so painful. Well, it wasn't really the memories themselves that were painful; it was the fact that he and Kuronue would never be able to create any more memories like them. Kuronue was dead.

Youko Kurama's best friend was dead. And he had been dead for a very long time.

Kurama's fingers clutched tightly at the pendant around his neck, feeling the cold stone and the even colder metal against his skin. The pendant was always cold; it had been that way since Kuronue had died. At first it had had some residual of warmth but that had faded just as quickly as the warmth in Kuronue's body had.

Kuronue had gone after the pendant and died, and then Kurama had gone after Kuronue's body and the pendant after the whole mess was over. He had lived, recovered the pendant, killed everyone in the castle, and then buried his best friend.

It didn't matter to him. How could it matter? It did not bring Kuronue back to life. There was nothing there, just a hole in Kurama's heart where his best friend used to be. There would be no more drunken cappers, no more grand heists, and no more sitting outside and looking thoughtfully at the stars while Kuronue laughed on and on and on.

He felt that it was his fault…the fault of his stupid, stupid, stupid pride. If he hadn't decided that he had to be an emotionless jackass then it never would have happened. Kuronue was not stupid; he would have not gone back for the little trinket if he had what the trinket represented to him. If Kurama had just admitted the truth, that he loved the bastard, then they would be reclining in one another's arms.

Life hadn't worked out that way. Oh no, it had to be as complex as the two demons. The Youko casually sat down beside his friend's tombstone and ran a finger gently across the surface. Kuronue: Best friend, legendary bandit, and undeclared beloved of Youko Kurama. You are forever loved, you shall be forever missed.

He hadn't snapped out of the bout of depression since Kuronue died. He had placed his friend's pendant around his neck, carried it with him everywhere he went. Sometimes when he went on raids it felt as though Kuronue was beside him, making his snide little remarks about the castles décor as they escaped.

A few tears fell from the Youko's eyes as he snuggled closer to the tombstone. This was what he deserved, for rejecting Kuronue's offer when it was made. He would never experience comfort, he would never experience love, and he would NEVER sleep with another.

_'Foxy…I love you, please foxy…can we be mates?' Kuronue's arms had wrapped around him waist and he had began to cuddle with Youko. 'I didn't want to tell you this, cause I thought you might hate me or something…foxy I love you. Kurama's eyes had widened considerably and he stared at his best friend in shock. Kuronue was not supposed to love him like that. Yes, they had just finished having their way with one another but that didn't mean that they were in love!_

'_Kuro…batty…no. I don't feel that way about you. Maybe someday,' Youko shook his head. 'But not now. I can't now. Are you ready for the raid tomorrow?' He changed the subject quickly, in the hope that Kuronue would just drop his request. It was illogical for them at this stage in the game anyway!_

'_I'm ready foxy.' Kuronue fingered his pendant; a present Youko had given to him before their little bedroom tryst. It wasn't going to leave his throat until Youko loved him back. He loved Youko, loved him ever since they had first met. They would be perfect together. They just meshed right in everything. Their fighting styles compliment each other. They liked the same sort of treasures. They looked gorgeous together. And in bed…Kuronue shivered slightly and pooled his body onto Kurama's chest._

_Perfection. Kuronue yawned, and then relaxed into slumber. Unnoticed by Youko, a few tears fell from Kuronue's eyes._

_Youko stayed up for a few more hours, watching the moonlight shine through the window and onto Kuronue's pale flesh. Flesh that had trembled under his skillful touches and caresses…Youko smiled and clutched Kuronue tighter. He wasn't ready yet. _

_Youko Kurama was too afraid to admit it to Kuronue but he was afraid. Mating was a permanent thing, a very big step. He would approach the topic of dating Kuronue after the raid tomorrow. Progression would be slow, and they would both appreciate it in the end. They would have the strongest bond in all of Makai and they would both know that they were loved. Until that time…these little romps had to stop. Kuronue deserved more than that. He deserved to be loved emotionally before he was loved physically. _

_Youko fell asleep happily, content in his decision. The next day, Kuronue died._

"I love you Kuronue. You knew that right? You had to know that! How could I not love you…you being the way you were? WHY THE HELL DID YOU GO BACK!" Youko wrapped his arms around the tombstone and continued to cry. This was why falling in love was so pointless.

You convince yourself to care and then they die, leaving you to rot alive. Youko pressed his cheek against the tombstone. Cold. It was so cold.

'_I don't feel that way about you.'_ His words echoed back in his mind over and over.

"Kuronue I lied. I lied. I lied. I lied, I love you. Please……come back." The wind blew around the two of them, a fox entwined with a tomb. And Kurama remembered. His fault, he killed him. If he had just explained what his problem was then Kuronue would have been alive. Kuronue would have waited for him. Kuronue would have waited forever.

"I'll come back again later Kuronue. I promise, I'll wait for you. Sayanara wa mirai no hajiami. Some day we will meet again and then…I won't hold it back." The promise spoken, Youko walked away. Within two years he was dead and a pendant lay on the floor, stained in the blood of two lovers.


	2. Thorns buried Deep

TCA-I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters.

Though I was going to make this into a single one shot I changed my mind, it's going to be a series of one shots all tied together by a common theme (aka Kuronue/Kurama). Remember to review!!!!

"All she could see were some thorns buried deep,

And the tears that he cried as she tended his wounds,

And she knew it was love,

It was what she could understand.

He was showing his love,

And that's how he hurt his hands."

-Nickel Creek "The Hand Song"-

It was a rather nice day out, or at least in Shiori's opinion it was. It was not too humid or hot, though the sun was shining brightly. It had rained a few days before, so the plants were still thriving and the ground was soft, not muddy. What made the day into the perfect day however, was her son.

Shuichi Minamino was ten years young with a heart of ice. His mother was sure that there was actually a heart of gold in his chest, and that the ice would thaw away eventually. The ice was thawing away even now. Shiori had no clue how such a young child could hold such feelings as resentment and hatred when the only things that he had ever been given were love and compassion. It was unthinkable at times…other times her mind would wander onto the subject of her son's blatant lack of emotion.

It was a vexing subject, one that bubbled up often when Shiori went to visit friends. Even her parents and her parents-in-law had pointed out her son's cold-heartedness…much to Shiori's chagrin. Her son was just fine; he just wasn't as outgoing as the other children. Shiori had forced herself to remain calm when her mother and her mother-in-law had chastised her over Shuichi's lack of vocalization.

He had never cried as a baby and Shiori's family had assumed that something was wrong with his mental development. Shiori had refused to take him to a specialist; her son was too bright to have anything wrong with him. The boy had forgone the picture book phase and at the age of two was already reading thick novels. He had understood them perfectly, and had even started small conversations with Shiori about the books. She had always felt rather insignificant after the conversations, as if she was little more than a bug…not that her beloved son had ever said anything insulting to her. He never spoke to anyone else at all.

"Okassan, aren't the roses lovely?" Her ten year old son's emerald eyes twinkle with mischief. The roses that had once been no more than a wilted mass of drab colors were now standing at full attention. The coloration in each rose was vivacious…pigments swirling from dark tones to light. Hues of crimson, white, pink, cerulean, and gold flared dramatically from the flowers.

If Shiori closed her eyes she could imagine that the flowers were vying for the small amount of affection that her son showed. The roses were like siblings, all competing for a parent's love. Shiori momentarily felt as though she should rebuke them, her 'grandchildren,' for their immature behavior.

"Yes…they are. You have such a green thumb Shuichi! If it wasn't for you everything in the garden would be dead." Kurama shrugged his shoulders, neither confirming nor denying his mother's words.

"You just need to talk to them more Okassan," Kurama said as his fingers lightly stroked a rose's petals. He plucked one of the red ones, one that matched the startling color of his hair. "They like it when you talk to them."

Shiori nodded her head, unsure of what she should say. Her son seemed so content in the garden and yet something seemed terribly wrong with his happiness…almost as if something important was missing. The small smile on her son's face did not reach his eyes. The sparkling eyes were always devoid of happiness.

"Okassan…" Kurama's little hand clutched tightly around the stem of the rose, the thorns cutting into the delicate flesh. Shiori stifled a gasp as her son's eyes looked into hers, the fake smile still plastered on his face. For the first time his eyes were not blank. Shiori could see the emotions that had been locked away. Sorrow, hatred, loss, and…self-loathing?

"What do you do when you're heart is hurting and won't stop? It feels like I'm being ripped into little pieces, and then those pieces are being scattered on the wind." Kurama brought the rose to his nose and looked down at it despondently.

"You cry Shuichi…" Shiori wrapped her arms around her son and held him gently, the rose still buried in his small hands. "It may not completely fix the hurt, but it helps. My dear son, my poor little Shuichi-kun, what's wrong?" Shiori rocked the boy back and fourth as he began to shake.

"It's my fault Okassan. He's gone, my best friend is gone, and it is completely my fault!" Her son began to sob into her shoulder, the first tears that he had ever cried in his life (or at least the life Shiori knew about). Even though Shiori did not know who her son was talking about she now felt like she could handle the problem. A best friend must be moving away. Children had the odd tendency of blaming themselves for things that they had no active part in. This was probably the case with her son as well.

"Shhhh...Shuichi-kun you're friend's moving isn't your fault. You can still be friends with him, you can talk to him over the phone or on the computer, and you can visit him in the summer if you want…" Shiori ran a hand through Shuichi's hair.

Shuichi began to sob harder. He felt even worse now, and his human mother not knowing what she was doing to the great Youko Kurama, tried to comfort him more.

"Okassan, he's dead. Dead. Dead. Dead." Kurama pulled back and looked Shiori in the face. His eyes were wide and filled to the brim with sorrow, tears overflowing in torrents. "I loved him so much…Why am I such an ass?"

Shiori's eyes widened in shock as Kurama continued to say the word dead over and over. Some sort of note would have came home if one of her son's classmates had died…wait, had her little Shuuichi just called himself an ass? And he was blaming himself for a death!

Kurama's hand tightened noticeably on the rose. He had purposefully grown the thorns longer and sharper, the blood was the best type of tears that he could shed.

"If you love someone they're never really gone Shuichi…do you want to attend the funeral?"

"There's already been one Okassan. It was a rather small ceremony…" Kurama smiled sadly. "Let's go inside. I feel better, albeit I am rather tired." Shiori nodded and carried Kurama inside, much to the boy's frustration. Once inside he fell into a fitful sleep on the couch.

Shiori's son was an old soul. She had known it from the moment she had first looked into his eyes. Even so, the sight of her son writhing on the couch in agony was terrifying. The rose was still clutched in his hands and Shiori gently took it away, staring in shock at the stem. Several thorns were missing, the ones that were still clinging to the stem were overly sharp, and the whole thing was covered in her son's blood.

"Ku…Kuronue…koibito…no!" Kurama was shivering. Shiori rushed to get a blanket and the first aid kit. Once she returned to the living room she covered up her shaking son and began to pull things out of the first aid kit.

Out came the cotton balls, the hydrogen peroxide, the tweezers, the bandages, the Neosporin, and the stinging red stuff. Good thing Kurama was asleep; the evil red stuff wouldn't be appreciated if he was awake. Shiori took one of her son's hands and picked up the tweezers, removing all of the thorns stuck in his little palm and fingers. After removing all the thorns from the left hand she started on the right, ever mindful of her son's whimpers. Kuronue…what an odd name!

Once all of the thorns had been removed Shiori uncapped the hydrogen peroxide and pulled out a few cotton balls. She soaked the cotton balls in the peroxide and began to clean the blood off of Kurama's hands. The excess blood was removed and Shiori began to clean the actual wounds. The hydrogen peroxide bubbled and fizzed against some of the deeper and longer wounds.

Shiori recapped the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, only to uncap the bottle of disinfectant. If her son was awake he would be screaming right now…he hated the red stuff with a passion. Shiori soaked a cotton ball and began to scrub at the puncture marks. Unlike the hydrogen peroxide this actually had to be scrubbed on, and Shiori figured that was why her little boy hated it with a passion.

Finished with the task of cleaning and sterilizing Shiori got ready to bandage the deep puncture wounds. How the rose had managed to do such damage was beyond comprehension. All of her son's roses had little thorns…except this one. Smiling softly at her sleeping son Shiori began to rub dots of Neosporin over all of the wounds. She then wrapped his little hands in the bandages, just to make sure that the wounds would not get infected.

Once upon a time, back when Shiori was a little girl, she had heard a story from some far off land. Her great-great-grandmother had told it to her when she was only six. Though Shiori can't remember the details she does remember the basis of the story.

Before the reincarnation of a soul takes place they are brought into a room with a lovely fountain. The room is filled with riches and the fountain itself is carved out of the fines materials and inlayed with pearls. Before the soul is let free they are to drink from the fountain. Within the fountain is a potion and one sip of the potion erases all memories of the life they once led. This happens to prevent any painful memories from overpowering them in their new life. Occasionally however, there have been souls who have slipped through without having to go through the room. This left all former memories in tact.

Shiori glanced at her crying son and she just knew that he never went through that room. The only way she could possibly help him is if she finds out who he was…and the only hint she had is the name _Kuronue_, and the fact that he was her son's best friend and love. She looked over at the small form on the manila colored couch. There were little drops of blood, and Shiori knew she would have to clean it up later. So little information…to the computer then.

Shiori typed in the words _Kuronue_ and _best friend_, not sure if anything was going to come up. She was surprised at the number of hits she found. All of them were from mythology sites, paranormal sights, and things of the like. All of them had two things in common. The words _Youko Kurama_ and _thieves_ were applied to everyone. Now very nervous and near hyperventilating, Shiori clicked on the first link and began to read.

_Youko Kurama and Kuronue were vicious demon thieves, known in the Maikai for their rather extravagant and well planed heists. Kuronue was an expert with scythes and illusions while Youko Kurama was a master plant wielder and the rose was his choice of weapon. _Shiori blinked rapidly and looked back at her sweet innocent son, wondering if she should continue.

"Kuro…no! I-I'll get you a new pendant…" Her son hunched up into a tighter ball, his whole frame shaking. Ten years…he had held this pain from her for ten years. How long had he actually lived with it? A thousand, a hundred, it all amounted to the same thing. Her child was in pain.

_The two were sadistic and could be viewed as insane. Often times after a successful job the two would go out drinking, causing havoc in any town that they landed in. More often than not the two would take multiple lovers in celebration. The kitsune, Youko Kurama, was known to be extremely promiscuous, never staying with a lover for more than the time it took to have sex with them and leave. _Shiori's eyes almost popped out of her head at that information and she looked again at her son. She quickly continued reading, learning about many of the heists that the notorious pair had pulled off. She had to say that she was impressed, if not somewhat dumbfounded. Shuichi could remember doing all of this?

Shiori's eyes traveled to a time line that displayed a fairly large amount of things bunched together. Heist after heist after heist, and if you clicked on anything on the timeline details came up.

Her eyes caught something that had nothing to do with the pair's thievery and everything to do with her son. The headline read _Youko Kurama stops taking lovers_. Shiori clicked on it.

_Around this time the great Youko Kurama stopped taking lovers. Though there have been many different speculations as to why the king of thieves did this the most accepted one is this: The great Youko Kurama forged a relationship with his partner in crime, Kuronue. It is not known if the relationship was emotionally driven or purely sexual, though it is known that neither pursued another lover (other than Youko, Kuronue is not known to have ever taken a lover) and Kuronue constantly wore a blood pendant afterwords._

'It was a loving one.' Shiori thought to herself. Her son couldn't be as bad as everyone said he had been, he was a good boy. And right now he was having nightmares about who knows what while on the couch. Shiori clicked the back button and her eyes latched onto an event that occurred eighty years, ten months, and sixteen days after Kurama and Kuronue became exclusive.

_Kuronue dies during a heist_.

Shiori clicked the link, waited for the page to load, and then rushed off to throw up in the bathroom toilet. Pictures…very gritty old pictures, but pictures none the less. No wonder her son was having nightmares. Shiori threw up a few more times and then went back to the computer to read what happened... her eyes widened in shock when she realized why Kuronue had went back- he had wanted the pendant Youko had gave him. When she was done she flipped back to the timeline, understanding why her son had always been so cold. 'Kuronue…he told him to run…and he's still running to this day…'

Shiori continued to browse through the little left on the timeline. Kurama managed to die thirty two years after Kuronue, in a botched heist. Shiori noted that as soon as Kuronue died most of the heist were botched. Greif had made her son clumsy. Shiori looked at her arms, the scars still prominent, and then at Kurama. It took so much for him to open up to being loved…

Shiori looked at the main page again. She'd have to search it better later, for a picture of what her son really looked like. She turned off the computer and turned just in time. Kurama was waking from his nap.

"Okassan, I feel a bit better now. Can we make lemonade?" Kurama grinned up at her, his mask carefully back in place. "I'm rather thirsty."

"Anything you want Ku-Shuichi." Shiori smiled. He could keep his secret as long as he wanted, and she'd wait until he was ready to tell her to tell him that she already knew. The ten-year-old took her hand and led her into the kitchen, pulling out the ingredients for lemonade.

"I'll squeeze out the lemon juice; you shouldn't with the cuts in your hand. How about you get the ice tray from the fridge for me?"

"Okay Okassan." Kurama walked over to the fridge and brought back the tray.

Shiori's son had always been an old soul, he had always seemed so cold, and he had been filled with bitterness and loathing. One thing was for sure though. That was that he needed to be cared for emotionally, and that he would never be able to keep secrets from his mother. But she'd let him believe that he could, just to keep him happy.


	3. Under the Stars

TCA-Okay here in the latest chapter of Fidus Achates. I thought that I should throw something sweet at you all, so I'm forgoing the angst in this chapter. In other words…this is a WAFF chapter!

Yu Yu Hakusho and its characters do not belong to me.

? a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ?

"Strike us like matches,

cause everyone deserves the flames  
We only do it for the scars and stories,

not the fame"

-Fall Out Boy Champagne for my Real Friends, Real Pain for my Sham Friends-

Kuronue winced reflexively as Youko's fingers brushed the wounds in the center of his back, right in between his wings. He waited with slight trepidation for the pain to come but it didn't. He could feel pressure around the area but the searing pain was no longer present. Youko's claws sent tingles up his spine and Kuronue found himself giggling-of all the horrible things!

"Kuronue knock it off right now. You're going to make the wound worse if you keep squirming. As it is now it should be fine…if you hold still long enough!" Youko bopped Kuronue lightly over the head with his fist. His tail was wagging against the cave floor in frustration. Kuronue sighed and nodded his head lightly. He couldn't help the fact that it tickled.

The bandit team sat calmly on the cave floor and Youko continued to treat his friends wound. It wasn't that bad of a wound, but it was in a particularly sensitive area. He just had to make sure that it was cleaned so it didn't get infected. Gangrene and wings didn't make a good combination as far as Youko understood. Once the wound had been treated with some medical herbs Kuronue would be fine. As it was Youko had already numbed it.

"Are you--" Kuronue started to speak but Youko quickly cut him off.

"Yes Kuronue, I'm finished." Youko stood up and brushed the invisible dust from his white tunic. He offered his hand to Kuronue and helped the bat up when their hands were firmly clasped together. Kuronue flapped his wings a few time to make sure that the muscles were still working. He jumped up in shock as Youko smacked him on the ass with a thornless bara shibenjin. The attack caused him to turn around suddenly and give Youko a dirty look.

"Why the hell did you do that Mr. Foxy Pants!?" Kuronue yelled out his 'favorite' nickname for the kitsune youkai while glaring daggers at his friend. He had chosen that particular nickname to use when taunting his best friend because Youko reacted a little too violently to his other choice. Apparently being called a vixen was a huge insult among male kitsune…and Youko Kurama considered it a challenge. Whenever the nickname vixen was used Youko demonstrated to Kuronue that he was in fact very male.

"Because the opportunity was way to tempting to let die my dear Batty-bat-bat." Youko snorted at the look of abhorrence on his friend's face. "Let's go get something to eat, my fine winged friend." Youko laughed and threw his arm around Kuronue's waist and the two left the cave, both repeating their nicknames for one another over and over as if they were chanting a mantra.

Later that day, when the sun was beginning to set, the two arrived at their home. Though the two were rather famous and abhorrently rich their place was rather simple. Mansions and castles just screamed out 'ROB ME' in capital letters so the two had chosen something much more unconventional. In the middle of a rather well guarded meadow (of course their guard consisted of Youko's plants), was an inconspicuous Okunenju tree. There, underneath the maze of the tree's roots, was their home. A stream curled around the far side of the large tree and a garden full of seasonings rested to the tree's right.

Youko had gone inside to get pots and pans while Kuronue had started a blaze in the fire pit outside. They did have a place to cook indoors but neither of them felt like eating inside on this particular day. The weather was just right for them to have dinner outside. The air was warm and not to humid, and Youko had planted a few bug repelling plants around their home.

Kuronue added a few more logs to the fire and then walked over to the stream to check their fishing lines. All ten of the wooden bobbers had sunken and Kuronue could see the fish that had bitten into the hooks. They were a species of catfish that were indigenous to the Makai, and were much more vicious than their ningenkai cousins. Kuronue proceeded with caution, pulling the lines up one by one and dropping their burden into the bucket that the thieves kept hand by the river. The bucket had a mesh covering so that the evil little buggers wouldn't be able to jump out. The things actually had teeth…Kuronue shuddered, re-baited the lines, and threw them back into the still stream. He picked up his bucket and began to haul the thing back over to the fire. Youko was already over at the fire, and he had a rather large rabbit in his grasp along with the pots and pans.

"Well we're certainly going to eat a lot tonight, ne Kuronue?" Youko smiled and then looked into the bucket that Kuronue had sat down. One of the more violent fish had jumped up with its mouth open wide, only to fall back dazed after its face hit the mess. "So…Does Catfish and Stewed Rabbit sound okay to you? We also have Kitsune Udon and white rice."

"It sounds good. How about I take the white rice and you keep the Kitsune Udon…I really don't want you to attack me for eating too much of it this time." Kuronue smiled playfully and then moved over to one of the large flat stones with his bucket. He laid a knife beside the rock and pulled the top off of the bucket. His fist darted quickly out to grab a fish and then the mesh was replaced immediately. The evil fish fought against him but Kuronue managed to lop its head off before it could sink its teeth into him.

The process continued with the other fish and soon a neat pile of heads lay beside Kuronue. The bat youkai continued to clean and gut them until every last scale had been properly removed and hunks of catfish meat graced the bottom of one of the pots. Youko had done the same to the rabbit.

Kuronue placed chopped garlic cloves, thinly sliced green onions, tomatoes chunks, salt, pepper, and tomato juice in with the catfish and quickly shut the lid. He put the pot over the fire, on one of the shelves Youko had set up, and left it there. It had to simmer for a good three hours before they could open it up, otherwise the whole dish would be ruined. Kuronue turned away from the fire to watch his best friend prepare the rabbit.

Youko's dish involved a lot more work in the cooking process. While Kuronue had only needed three vegetables, two seasonings, and meat, Youko needed three vegetables, about seven seasonings, cold water, red wine, bacon, and rabbit meat. It did take a bit less time to cook (only two hours). Youko used his claws to cut the seasonings, meats, and vegetables instead of a knife and Kuronue found himself yet again watching his best friend with awe.

When the food was all done the two dug in vivaciously, as if they had not eaten in a week. They both had rather large appetites so they both had a tendency to eat more than a normal demon would. As they ate they talked about random things. Every now and then one of the thieves would make a comment that sent the other into a fit of laughter.

"Today was incredible…" Kuronue smiled and leaned forward. He dumped more stew into his bowl and added another scoop of rice to his plate.

"I'm sorry you got hurt though. If I had planned for-" Kuronue cut his best friend's words off with a gentle kiss.

"You can't plan for everything Foxy…and even if you could it wouldn't be as fun as when we wing it." Kuronue finished up his fifth serving of food and sat his dishes aside, his stomach full and his entire body content. Youko finished his own food a few moments later, stacked his dishes with Kuronue's, and moved closer to his best friend…his favorite lover. Their hands danced lightly together before the two entwined their fingers.

"That wound is probably going to scar…"

"And I'm going to have quiet a tale to tell about it if anyone ever asks. After all, isn't that why we got into this business?" The two laughed lightly.

Neither spoke for a time, but the silence did not fall heavy between them. They could communicate in silence as well as they could with words.

Youko gave Kuronue's hand a gentle squeeze. Using the hand that was not entangled with Kuronue's Youko undid the large pouch that was tied to his side. It was part of the loot they had received that day, the rest of it was stored safely inside their home. Youko held a sparkling diamond up to the night air and examined it wistfully.

The diamond sparkled as brilliantly as the stars.

Kuronue flashed Youko a smile and squeezed his hand right back.

"Kuronue…How may stars do you think there are?" Youko turned his head away from the heavens to look at his partner in crime. The moonlight threw shadows across Kuronue's handsome face and made his eyes sparkle. The bat youkai turned his head as well and flashed a cocky smile.

"Truthfully I don't know but I suggest you start counting." Kuronue's eyes twinkled mischievously. Youko's ears twitched in curiosity.

"Why?" The kitsune asked, putting words to his curiosity.

"Because…" Kuronue smiled charmingly at his lover. "I intend to give you as many kisses as there are stars." Kuronue pulled himself closer to Youko and propped himself up so he was lying partially on the spirit fox.

"Fine. If you want to play like that!" Youko began to count, looking past Kuronue and up into the night sky. "One, two, three, fo-"

"You're going to forget which ones you counted before you reach two hundred. Then you'll have to start over. They move you know. So you'll never really know which you've already counted. You'll recount some, forget to count others…" Kuronue's voice trailed off into a husky whisper as he stared down at his friend. The kitsune's ears were twitching.

"Then what's the point of it Kuro!?" Youko growled in frustration as he stared into his friend's twinkling star eyes.

"I intend to give you as many kisses as there are stars…" Kuronue repeated his line from earlier directly into the sensitive shell of Youko's fuzzy ear. "As long as we don't know… there shall always be another kiss." Kuronue's lips pressed against Youko's lovingly and the two rolled over so that the kitsune was on top. The kiss continued even as the two undressed and made love.

Youko's eyes glistened like gold, Kuronue's eyes sparkled like diamonds, and their flesh shined as pale as the moon's light. When their cooking fire went out all was that was left was the dazzling light of countless stars.

? a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z ?

TCA-Please Review!!! Thank You for Reading!


	4. Dreams to dream

TCA- Here's the next chapter of Fidus Achates. Enjoy and Review. Remember- I don't own YuYuHakusho or any of its characters…no matter I wish that I do.

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They were kissing. There wasn't anything new about that. The way that their bodies melted into one another, as if they were one being, was something that they had known for a very long time.

There was a flash of red in the night as the moonlight played off of Kuronue's pendant. Kurama's eyes gleamed gold in the darkness as he pulled his best friend-slash-favorite lover into another desperate kiss. Their tongues danced together as their hands tugged at strands of hair and squeezed at one another's flesh.

Kuronue was whimpering as Youko bit at his collarbone.

They were together and everything was perfect and they were floating on a sea of clouds while dancing and singing and there were lullabies ringing in their ears. Everything was thick and hazy and sweet and sour and the world was at their fingertips.

Youko Kurama was sure that this was what love felt like. Love was the beautiful and graceful bat youkai underneath him, lain out in all of his glory on a horde of sparkling treasures. Bits of cold gold were caressing their bare arms. Diamonds were trying to stick to their sweaty skin.

There was so much going on at once….and then Kuronue was above him and the kisses were blocking out every other thought in Youko's head.

Then the bleeding started and Kuronue was just a broken corpse with holes punctured throughout his body and he was still kissing him but there was that question-

Why did you leave?

And it was repeating over and over again and Youko didn't know what to say, and Kurama didn't know what to say.

I…

I love you…

So much-

Why?

And there is more blood.

~*~*~*~

"KURONUE!"

It is three o'clock in the morning when Shiori is woken up by the screams of her seventeen-year-old son. Knowing from past experiences that he will not wake up for a few more minutes, she leaves her room and goes to the kitchen. By the time the tea is done her son is awake. She walks into his room, hands him the cup, and kisses him on the forehead-just like she used to when he was a child.

"Everyone has bad dreams sometimes sweetie. Just remember that that is all they are, bad dreams. Don't let what happens in them diminish your memories of real life." Shiori smiles at him and leaves the room, just like she always does when this happens to him.

Kurama feels that his mother always gives the best advice. Sometimes, he wonders how much she really knows about his life.


End file.
